


Movie Night

by OtterlyDeerlightful



Series: Lifemates AU [2]
Category: LazyTown
Genre: Characters have feels, Cuddles, Dating, M/M, Movie Night, Schemes going right, guess that film, support your local library!, yes libraries have movies!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-12-06 03:46:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11592282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OtterlyDeerlightful/pseuds/OtterlyDeerlightful
Summary: Robbie has worked out the most brilliant scheme yet! It's perfectly full-proof, and it will make that stupid elf sit still for the duration of a movie if it's the last thing he does!





	Movie Night

**Author's Note:**

> One of my first "successful" tumblr posts was a silly Sportarobbie headcanon of mine. Which has since become this little drabble XD

Dating someone like Sportacus wasn’t easy. There was no way for Lazy Town’s villain to keep up with all of the flipping, flopping and apple munching and, frankly, Robbie didn’t want to try. Even if he _could_ , there was exactly zero desire to do so. It was much easier just to _watch_ the crazy elf do his overly-healthy and incredibly-tiring-looking routines. It was perfect; he could enjoy the view without having to exert himself. Perfect! The two were incredibly different—a fact that even the most oblivious onlooker could recognize immediately—but in spite of those differences, the pair were determined to make things work. The problem was that such a lofty goal wasn’t always so easy.

Sportacus and Robbie had their own hobbies and their own schedules, so it was nice when the men could find a time and a place where they could be together. Unfortunately, deciding what to _do_ with that time could prove to be rather difficult at times. Robbie’s last attempt at a movie date night had been a complete disaster in every sense of the word. Sportacus, forever teeming with energy, hadn’t been able to sit still long enough to _see_ the movie at all, and Robbie had become too distracted and frustrated with his boyfriend’s pushups and twirls to enjoy the film himself. The night hadn’t ended well.

This time, though, Robbie a was ready with a Sportacus-proof plan. The hero had been a little reluctant to accept a second movie night invitation after the fallout from the first. But, Robbie was quickly finding that the silly elf had a tendency to become putty in his hands when Robbie turned on his sneaky, yet romantic, charms. And so, the trap was set.

“Alright, Sportaflop, which one?” Robbie asked with a gesture to the DVD cases in each hand.

“Which ones were those again?” the hero asked. “It feels like we’ve looked at so many. I don’t remember which one was what anymore.”

Robbie sighed. “The one about a kid and a talking dog, or the adventure flick about a book and a kid with a horse?”

“Oooh, can we watch the adventure one?” Sportacus asked, suddenly seeming invested in the choice. “That sounds like fun!”

“Adventure it is,” he replied in agreement as he placed the failed competitor back on the shelf.

The pair went to the nearby counter to check out their film for the evening. The villain did his best to ignore the library clerk’s curious eyes as Sportacus bounced excited on his heels behind him like a child. She held out the DVD with a smile and Robbie snatched up quickly, suddenly eager to leave the building. He hurried out into the cool evening air with his boyfriend close behind. Sportacus gently touched the back of Robbie’s hand before the taller of the two slipped his hand into the other’s, entwining their fingers as they walked along. Robbie felt his face grown warm.

He and Sportacus hadn’t been together very long, and he still felt a bit strange when the man would willing show such affection for him when they were out and about…in public. Where everyone could see the hero so enthusiastically associating with the town grump. It was a little frightening, in a way, but it also gave Robbie that warm, fluttery feeling in his chest whenever the hero slowed down his flippy-floppy self to match Robbie’s speed. Or when Sportacus announced to a questioning townsperson that ‘he’s my boyfriend!’ without hesitation. It was unfamiliar territory for Robbie, but…he liked it. He liked how scary and new everything was and he liked—no, loved—that bright, genuine smile on Sportacus’ face whenever the two shared a private moment hidden in plain sight.

The villain gave his new partner a side glance, spying the cheer written all over Sportacus’ face. He still wasn’t sure how he had managed the courage necessary to agree to that first date with the man, but he was thankful that it had happened. Honestly, he wasn’t entirely sure how anything was happening lately. The last few months had been the happiest time of his life and Robbie was determined to make that feeling last. This was one good thing in his life he would never give up without a fight.

“I’ve, uh, got a surprise for you,” Robbie admitted as they approached the billboard near the edge of town. “I think it might help you enjoy the movie a bit better this time around.”

“Oh?”

Robbie pulled up the hatch that constituted a front door for his lair. He looked to Sportacus and immediately found himself lost in the hero’s brilliantly blue, curious eyes, if only for a moment.

“Just…once you’re inside, close your eyes. I don’t want you to see it right away.”

Sportacus grinned and nodded. “No cheating. I promise, Robbie. I won’t peek!”

The man sounded so excited. Robbie held a preparatory breath before kissing Sportacus on the cheek and hopping down the entrance tube of his home.

Sportacus waited for a few seconds, wanting to give Robbie enough time to prepare any last-minute details before he can barreling down after him. What did Robbie have in store for him, he wondered. Robbie always had such a flare for planning things that Sportacus couldn’t help but feel excited knowing that his partner had put something together for their date night. Sportacus knew that his habits and needs could be something of a headache for the poor villain, and the fact that Robbie continually tried to accommodate Sportacus’ differences was heart-warming.

Sportacus’ eyes were closed before his boots even hit the lair floor. He stood still, unsure where might or might not be safe to move. He decided it might also help to cover his eyes with his hands. Not only was it a nice gesture, but somehow it made the anticipation all the more fun and intense. The elf jumped slightly when he suddenly felt Robbie grab both his elbows from behind.

“Now _you_ know how it feels to have someone sneak up on you all the time,” the villain teased before he began guiding Sportacus further into the room.

“ _Robbie_ ,” Sportacus laughed as he let himself be steered through his boyfriend’s home.

The villain’s long fingers cupped his elbows gently, and Sportacus couldn’t help but release a slight shiver that ran down the length of his spine at feeling Robbie so close. True, the pair had gone from necessary-only contact to kisses and cuddling over the past few weeks, but that didn’t keep Sportacus from falling into pure, excited elation every time they had the opportunity to be close. After pining for the man for so long, it would definitely take the elf a while to see any intimacy between them as a humdrum, everyday event.

They suddenly halted. “Alright,” Robbie breathed, taking his hands away from Sportacus’ disappointed arms. There was the soft whooshing sound of fabric being pulled away from something. “You can open up now.”

Sportacus pulled his hands from his face, blinking for a moment as his eyes adjusted to the light of the room. A brilliant smile quickly took over his adorable face and Robbie couldn’t help but swell at the laugh of surprise that escaped his boyfriend’s lips.

“Robbie!” he cried. “Is…is this for me?”

Robbie snorted and shrugged. “Well _I’m_ certainly not going to use it, so I’d assume so,” he teased with a smug grin.

“Thank you, Robbie, it’s wonderful!” the elf cried before grabbing his gangly boyfriend up in a loving bear hug.

“ _Guk!_ I-I’m glad y-you like it, Sportasqueeze,” Robbie wheezed through the embrace. “But I’m rather fond of b-breathing…”

“Oh! Oh, I am sorry, Robbie,” Sportacus laughed, carefully releasing his boyfriend and brushing the man’s vest to try and work out any hug-induced wrinkles.

Robbie flailed his arms at the hero. “ _Git!_ Git it, stop!” he scolded, swatting at his boyfriend’s hands. “Enough!”

Sportacus smiled up at him innocently. “Sorry, Robbie. Can…can I try it out?”

“Well, that’s the idea. I didn’t make it so you could _look_ at it. I’ve got to get my movie snacks ready, anyway. You knock yourself out, I’ll go make some popcorn. You _can_ eat popcorn, right?”

“Huh? Oh, oh yes, I can. Thank you, Robbie,” the elf mumbled in spite of his obvious distraction.

Robbie rolled his eyes, leaving Sportacus to be enamored with his new toy. At least the elf liked it; part of him had been worried that his boyfriend somehow wouldn’t appreciate—or like—the gift. That had been a silly fear, he knew, but he so wanted tonight to go right that the possibility of immediate failure and rejection had still been plaguing him for the last day and a half. It seemed his plan for the evening was, so far, working perfectly. There was yet hope for a romantic evening. He grinned to himself and went to fetch some popcorn…and maybe some candy.

With Robbie gone off to the kitchenette area of the lair, Sportacus was free to fully admire his surprise gift. The exercise bike was an exquisite dark blue, brand new and shining like it had just been polished. The cushioned seat, handle bars, foot pedals, and—most appropriately—the small _RR_ insignia on the bike’s side were all colored an adorably contrasting violet. Everything about the piece of equipment was absolutely perfect and Sportacus couldn’t be more touched by the gesture. Imagine! Robbie Rotten, infamous villain of Lazy Town and opponent of all things physically active…taking the time and energy to construct an _exercise bike_ to surprise his boyfriend on a date. It was enough to bring a tear to the hero’s eye. And it did. Sportacus gently adjusted the large, professional-looking blue bow perching between the bike’s handle bars, worried that any use might crumple the beautiful display.

“Oh, Robbie, this is…this is amazing, thank you!” Sportacus cried as he mounted the bike to get a better feel for it.

The seat’s height was already perfect and its cushioning divine. Sportacus carefully investigated the small panel that had previously been hidden behind its showy bow and was excited to find that the bike had multiple settings to choose from. He could choose from different levels of resistance, incline, and could even have his seat warmed or cooled if desired. Sportacus certainly hadn’t seen that feature on any piece of workout equipment he had used before.

“I figured,” Robbie said as he strolled back to Sportacus and his new toy, “You’re too flippy to stay put without a sugar meltdown…so why fight it? This way you can be as sickening energetic as you want and I can still force a movie down your throat. So, is it brilliant or brilliant?” he asked with a proud grin.

“It is very sweet, Robbie,” Sportacus replied happily. “This is fantastic. I love it, thank you so so much!”

“I’m glad you like it, Sportadork.”

Robbie set the large bowl of popcorn down on the side table nestled between Sportacus’ exercise bike and his plush orange chair. He pulled down his television and popped the disc intothe contraption before plopping himself down across from it, getting comfortable, and pulling out his box of candy to enjoy. He glanced over at Sportacus, who was too engrossed in admiring the bike to realize that the movie would be starting soon.

“You okay over there?” Robbie asked. “Do you two need some personal time or would you like to continue with our date?” he teased.

Sportacus jumped and flashed an embarrassed smile. “Sorry, Robbie. I just…this is wonderful! This was so thoughtful!”

“Thoughtful, selfish, whatever. So long as I can get you to watch at least _some_ of this thing while you’re on that, I’ll call tonight a win.”

Sportacus laughed and Robbie couldn’t help but notice how the elf’s expression of joy somehow reminded him of a secluded, trickling stream on a bright spring day. He shivered. Well that was some random imagery. He picked up the remote control as the menu selection finally graced the television screen.

“You ready?”

“I am!”

Robbie hit _Play_ and thrust his hand into his box of candy.

It wasn’t an ideal date, considering the two of them had their own little bubbles in which to watch the film, but Robbie was happy nonetheless. He could hear the whirring of Sportacus’ bike hard at work beside him as the movie played out and for now, that was enough. Robbie hadn’t watched this film in years, but was surprised to find that he liked it just as much now as he did as a child. Hopefully Sportacus was enjoying it as well.

The villain tried to sneak a glance over at his boyfriend to gauge the man’s reaction. To his delight, Sportacus was looking right at the screen. Well, _that_ was a good sign, at least! Satisfied, Robbie grabbed a handful of popcorn and turned back to the movie. His plan was a success. At least _one_ of his schemes had gone off without a hitch.

The movie continued. Robbie’s candy stash was quickly depleted and his tossed the box aside without a second thought; after-date cleanup was future Robbie’s problem, not his. The comforting whirring behind him was still there. He may not be able to hold his elf…like one should be able to on a date…but that sound meant that Sportacus was there, and they were together. The whirring of that bike was the content hum of their relationship as far as he was concerned, and its melody was lovely.

The popcorn bowl was slowly disappearing, mostly thanks to Robbie…maybe _exclusively_ thanks to Robbie. He didn’t really notice if Sportacus had taken any of the snack for himself. What _did_ draw his attention, though, was not the absence of popcorn, but of the hum that he realized _should_ be buzzing behind him.

The villain turned around. He shook his head and looked again to make sure his eyes were seeing things correctly. Sportacus was still there, still staring at the television screen, but his legs were sluggish, barely moving. The elf gave a small sniffle. Robbie looked back at the screen, realizing what scene they had come to. Ah, that explained it.

“Hey, uh, Sportaflop? You okay?”

The man didn’t seem to hear him.

“Sportacus.”

Robbie paused the film. Sportacus jumped, face full of instant distress before he realized what had happened.

“Sportacus,” Robbie said again, slower this time. “Are you okay?”

The hero sniffled again and tried to wipe away a tear that was threatening to fall. “Y-yes. Sorry, Robbie. I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just…”

“Come here.”

Sportacus stared at him.

“Get your bouncy behind over here,” his boyfriend commanded as they scooted over in their chair and patted the cushion next to them.

Sportacus, feeling rather embarrassed about his reaction to what was supposed to be a children’s film, reluctantly dismounted the exercise bike and wandered to Robbie’s side. Having the two men share a seat was a snug fit at first, but the elf quickly found himself being shifted to the taller man’s lap. Sportacus blushed wildly at the intimate contact. Robbie snaked his arms around his boyfriend’s form and gave him a quick kiss on his red cheek.

“Comfortable?”

Sportacus nodded, suddenly feeling incredibly self-conscious.

“Are you okay?”

The elf hesitated, then gave a small nod.

“It’s okay, you know. I cried when I saw it the first time, too.”

“Really?”

Robbie nodded. “It’s a sad scene. It’s good to cry when you’re sad. You should know that, Mister It’s-So-Healthy.” The villain practically gagged on his own words. “You’re a bad influence, by the way. If you make me give anyone _healthy_ advice again I’ll break up with you.”

Sportacus gave a soft chuckle and leaned against Robbie’s chest in thanks.

“So, you okay to keep going?”

“Yes. Yes, I….it is a very good movie. It’s just…the horse…”

“This part gets to everyone,” Robbie assured him.

The movie resumed. The scene continued to play out, and Sportacus whimpered. Robbie wrapped his arms around the man and held him tight. He rested his chin atop the hero’s hat and swallowed, suddenly on the verge of tears himself. It really _was_ a sad scene. But at least neither of them had to watch it alone.

Robbie worried that, as the film continued, the emotional investment would start to fade and Sportacus would grow restless once again and return to the exercise bike. To his amazement, that didn’t happen. Sportacus stayed. He leaned into Robbie, practically curling into a ball as he was pulled further and further into the story playing out before him. His initial plan was working out even _better_ than he could have imagined! The villain happily hugged his boyfriend, kissing Sportacus gently on the cheek for good measure. He could feel the elf smile.

“Robbie?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

Robbie frowned. “For what?”

Sportacus shrugged, eyes still on the screen, despite there only being credits to watch now. “The bike…the movie…this…”

“Heh. You’re welcome, Sportaflop.”

A pause.

“Robbie?”

He sighed, feigning annoyance. “Yes?”

“Can we do this again sometime?”

Robbie beamed. “Of course we can. There are a lot of films out there you have to catch up on.”

“Okay,” the elf yawned before nestling further into the man’s warm chest. “I chose this one. Next time you can pick the movie.”

“It’s a deal.”

Yes, this was certainly one scheme that had surpassed every expectation.

 

**Author's Note:**

> No, I don't know why I seem to be writing this AU backwards. It doesn't make any sense to me either...


End file.
